It’s summer time and the living is easy….
  

 

Well, right now,  it is -  in my country.

 Despite the heat, this is one time of the year I really love. The months of March, April and May – the peak of summer season here – never fail to give me that zest and tingle each morning I awake to the beam of sunrays on my window.
  Despite the nauseating political bickering that normally go with our daily living here, I still feel lucky to be a citizen of these sprawling 7,107 islands. My country throbs with life on the abundance of sun and rain throughout the year - thus resulting to plentiful harvests of fruits and vegetables all the time.
 The flowers – especially up there in cold Baguio City – they flutter and bloom proudly. While down here in the lowlands - how I delight on the sight of  flame trees that keep aglow with their fiery red blooms (very much like the cherry blossoms of Japan), the golden showers with their yellow gold petals that literally ‘shower’ the grounds when they drop with the gentlest breeze – and even bottle brush plants that stubbornly jut out from the shrubs. The sweet enthralling scent of Sampaguita, our national flower; the red and yellow santan blooms that line fences in the neighbourhood, the orchid that claims royalty as the floral queen, the gorgeous birds of paradise that  densely thrive anywhere; the haunting perfume of dama de noche that creeps through the night; and yes, the multi-color bougainvilleas that crawl and arch over canopied walks – ah, who needs to be in New York’s Central Park to embrace nature’s beauty at its best?
 Tropical fruits are laid in every corner which the enterprising Filipino easily converts to a business nook for the convenience of those who happen to pass by. Why, even Mang Ambo’s little sari-sari store occasionally transforms itself to a fruit stand selling mangoes, bananas, pineapples or whatever fruits that are in season.

 And who would not notice the halo-halo stands that suddenly sprout out of nowhere – on the sidewalks, along the roads, or even in waiting sheds? Noticeable as well are the jolly beach goers who pass by loaded in trucks, buses, vans and jeepneys.

Fiestas are all over where there are rides, games, parades, processions, selection of muses and all night dances. And then there is the Santacruzan – the Mayflower festival….. ‘Bangus festival’  (grill festival) … ‘Pista’y Dayat’ (Feast of the Sea)… and simply – the easy nights of lazing around at coffee houses while idly listening to soft music…
 Oh, Summer – may you be here forever !